By Jack Stern
In an exclusive interview with The Sal Greco Show, retired NYPD Deputy Chief Winston Faison denied accusations of cronyism and negligence of safety laid out in a NYPost article – along with the subsequent departmental violations that he was charged with following an internal investigation.
Faison was alleged to have neglected safety while running the department’s highly prestigious Aviation Unit, which included accusations of him personally piloting helicopters in an unsafe manner. As the unit’s commander, he was said to have ignored numerous FAA protocols while jeopardizing the safety of himself and those he supervised.
“IAB (Internal Affairs Bureau) should do an investigation, and present what they have to the department advocates office,” Faison proposed as a solution. “It wasn’t that they were trying to find out what really happened, they made a move that transferred me out – it was in the papers – and now they had to cover that so they’re trying to put a square into a circle,” he later added.
Appearing alongside his attorney Eric Sanders, the pair addressed each individual departmental charge while offering clarity on the press’s coverage of his ouster. Neither side pulled punches when detailing the personal and political aspects of his tumultuous dismissal, pointing out the racial component that exists with Faison having served as the unit’s first black commander.
The public commonly falls victim to the single story narrative that’s permeated by department higher ups with an ulterior agenda that involves speaking through the media. Oftentimes the motivation behind doing so is to remove an individual that they don’t like from a specific post or to aid the advancement of a friend who may be blocked from receiving an opportunity. Something Faison candidly believes was involved in his case.
“When individuals don’t like you for any reason, they’ll find anyway to make allegations,” Faison pointed out. “This was not the first time the FAA came in the hanger, the FAA came in the hanger a couple of times,” he said in regard to press coverage detailing how he ran the unit in sworn secrecy which avoided local and federal oversight.
In a stunning reversal of the norm where those accused of misconduct commonly revert to radio silence for reasons related to the legality of their case, Faison’s communicative strategy went against the grain. Speaking publicly for the first time since having his name dragged through the mud, the 25-year veteran went out of his way to clear the air not only about the ongoing allegations, but also other issues that were brought up by members of the audience via the comments section. The interactive format allowed for a constructive back-and-forth conversation which wouldn’t have taken place had he chosen to issue his rebuttal via a time limited interview with the mainstream media.
DEI initiatives on the job, favoritism amongst higher ups, and unjust promotions, were all contextually touched on as they related to the ongoing conversation. All topics were geared towards improving the overall conditions of workers like Faison who feel drummed up allegations were weaponized against them.
In finality, Sanders – a seasoned civil rights lawyer who has handled numerous cases over his decade and a half in practice – offered a firm assessment regarding Faison’s innocence.
“The bottom line to all of this is that he wasn’t criminally charged because he didn’t commit any crimes, he didn’t lose his certification because he didn’t violate any rules, he’s still a flight instructor with everything that comes along with it so your feelings really mean nothing.”
